Legend had it that after the sun set, evil demons roamed the land, devouring human flesh. It was also said that demon slayers hunted these fiends, protecting the people.
A light rain pattered down. Tsugikuni Kuga instinctively tightened his thin clothes as raindrops dripped from his crimson hair onto the bamboo chair beneath him.
Drip... drip...
The raindrops tapped against the bamboo chair, as if whispering a tale.
The village was about to sacrifice a young boy to the so-called Mountain God, but only Tsugikuni Kuga knew the truth: the Mountain God was nothing more than a flesh-eating demon.
Four burly men carried the boy up the moss-covered, bluestone steps to the dilapidated red Mountain God temple. The peeling, weathered walls seemed to speak of long years of abandonment.
Suddenly, the four men knelt before Tsugikuni Kuga.
One of them wept, "Kuga, we've wronged you, but please consider the fourteen years we've raised you. Don't hold a grudge against us!"
The young man was about to speak when a bestial roar erupted from the dilapidated temple. The four burly men, terrified, scrambled to their feet and scrambled up the bluestone steps.
Whether from fear or the slippery rain-soaked ground, one of them nearly stumbled. Tsugikuni Kuga, however, remained unshaken, his gaze fixed resolutely on the temple doors.
"I swore I wouldn't be afraid," he muttered to himself. "Why are my hands still trembling? I'm the descendant of the man hailed as the GOAT—don't be afraid!"
Today marked the fourteenth year since Tsugikuni Kuga had been reborn into the Demon Slayer World.
Isolated deep within the mountains, he had no way of knowing the outside world's time, so he prayed daily that his future wife, Shinobu, was still alive.
As a seasoned anime fan, how could he not know about Demon Slayer? Recalling those late-night sessions in bed, sobbing over the tragic deaths, he still couldn't accept the reality of Shinobu and Kyojuro's death.
Tsugikuni Kuga pulled out a small bronze mirror and examined the scar on his forehead, which resembled a burn wound.
Only he knew the truth: it was the legendary Demon Slayer Mark.
When Tsugikuni Kuga first realized he had the markings, he nearly fainted on the spot.
After all, swordsmen with these markings rarely lived past twenty-five.
But after consulting the family records, his eyes lit up. As the descendant of Tsugikuni Yoriichi, it was only natural to have innate markings.
Despite this, Tsugikuni Kuga remained worried about his impending demise. Then he suddenly remembered that he was the heir to the great legacy of Earth. Surely his ancestors had left behind methods to strengthen the body and extend life.
Tai Chi (Eight Trigrams), with its principles of balancing yin and yang, was an excellent method for strengthening the body and promoting health.
Since the age of eight, Tsugikuni Kuga had practiced Tai Chi daily and swung his sword five hundred times.
He could say his body was in top shape, and he enjoyed his food!
Here, Tsugikuni Kuga wanted to thank his university physical education teacher for teaching him Tai Chi.
He believed that someday there would be a Demon Slayer Corps where everyone practiced Tai Chi.
Another roar erupted from the dilapidated temple, snapping Tsugikuni Kuga back to reality. He stood up, tightening his grip on his worn blade.
The sword had been passed down through his family and was one of Tsugikuni Kuga's few remaining possessions. He wasn't sure if this blade could still kill demons.
The temple gate first trembled violently, then flew straight out.
Tsugikuni Kuga sidestepped, and the gate whizzed past his flower hairpins—these were also among his possessions.
As the dust cleared at the temple entrance, an earthy-yellow demon crawled out. In its eyes, Tsugikuni Kuga was nothing but a lamb awaiting slaughter, easily crushed with a single claw strike.
The thick stench of blood carried on the wind invaded Tsugikuni Kuga's nostrils, making his stomach churn in protest.
Tsugikuni Kuga had always considered himself a seasoned veteran, but facing this actual danger made him realize how unprepared he was.
"Boy, are you waving that knife at me?" the demon sneered.
"Uh! Did you get your head stuck in a door? If I'm not cutting you, what else would I use it for? Are you expecting me to slice myself up and serve you a snack?" Tsugikuni Kuga retorted.
Now Tsugikuni Kuga was starting to worry about the demon's intelligence. It didn't seem particularly bright.
"Pah! Sharp-tongued, are you? Just wait until you're kneeling, begging me not to eat you. Then we'll see how 'fierce' you'll be!"
"Fierce?" Tsugikuni Kuga was baffled.
He was just telling the truth, wasn't he? How was that being fierce? This thing was clearly unhinged.
The Earth Demon stopped wasting breath.
After all, the thrill of torturous slaughter was its passion. How could raw, untested flesh possibly be appetizing?
The Earth Demon dug its hind legs into the ground, adopting the posture of a predator about to pounce.
It leaped into the air and lunged at Tsugikuni Kuga, who stood rooted to the spot, calmly observing the demon despite his trembling body.
This was Tsugikuni Kuga's first encounter with a man-eating demon, and in a child's body no less. It would have been strange not to feel fear, but Tsugikuni Kuga remained confident in his mastery of Tai Chi.
The moment the Earth Demon lunged, Tsugikuni Kuga swayed like a reed in the wind, effortlessly dodging the attack.
The demon stared in bewilderment.
Is this kid's body made of rubber? How is he so flexible?
Seizing the opportunity, Tsugikuni Kuga drew his crude blade, aimed for the demon's neck, and slashed down.
A triumphant smile spread across his face as he taunted, "You underestimated me. Don't assume a child is weak! Can you withstand six years of my training?"
But just as the unexpected often happens when one least expects it, the blade snapped in two with a crack.
The Earth Demon roared with laughter.
"Hahaha! Is this the power of six years of your training? This demon is terrified!"
The demon's claws shot out with terrifying speed, catching Tsugikuni Kuga completely off guard.
A graceful arc traced across the sky as Tsugikuni Kuga was sent flying ten meters away.
After landing, Tsugikuni Kuga rolled several meters further before slamming into a tree. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Clutching his chest, Tsugikuni Kuga grimaced in pain as sharp, twisting agony radiated from his ribs.
Damn it, ancestor! What kind of shoddy workmanship is this? My ribs snap at the slightest impact!
Leaning on the remaining half of his sword, he slowly rose to his feet. The Earth Demon approached him with a thoughtful expression.
Suddenly, Tsugikuni Kuga pointed behind the Earth Demon and shouted, "Look! Your wretched father, Muzan, is coming!"
The moment "Muzan" was uttered, the Earth Demon's pupils dilated, and his body trembled violently. He hastily turned around and knelt down.
Of course, this was just a lie Tsugikuni Kuga had conjured to trick the demon.
He certainly didn't want to meet Muzan himself—after all, any descendant of the Tsugikuni family who encountered Muzan would surely end up dead.
But using the big boss's name to bluff his subordinates? That was perfectly fine.
And judging by the effect, it was a strategy worth using more often in the future.
"Stupid demon," Tsugikuni Kuga taunted, his mockery dripping with sarcasm. "Your boss would never come to this backwater. Stop kneeling! By Daddy Kuga's permission, you can stand now!"
With that, he executed the all time honored strategy of "the best defense is to run," and made a hasty escape.